In the first example ਮਰਦੇ is used as a verb of the subject ਸਿਪਾਹੀ. Now contrast it with the second example where ਮਰਦੇ is used as a noun rather than a verb. In the third example the same word ਮਰਦੇ is used as an adjective of the noun ਸਿਪਾਹੀ. Finally ਮਰਦਿਆਂ, a derivative of the same root verb ਮਰ is used as an adverb. Thus a derivative from a verb may be used as a noun, an adjective or an adverb besides a verb.

Rule 1. ਭਾਵਾਰਥ ਕਿਰਦੰਤ or infinitive participle is obtained from the root verb by adding ਨਾ or ਣਾ and though it coverys an action like a verb it has no tense i.e. it does not tell us the time of the action. See for example

Here ਪੜਦੇ in ਪੜ੍ਹਦੇ ਬੱਚੇ is an adjective and therefore present participle.

Rule 3. An important exception to the above rule is when the root verb ends in a vowel or a vowel followed by ਹ. In such cases the vowel gets nasalized to as in ਰੋਂਦਾ from ਰੋ, ਪੀਂਦਾ from ਪੀ, ਖਾਂਦਾ from ਖਾ, ਖੋਂਹਦਾ from ਖੋਹ, ਪੀਂਦਾ from ਪੀ etc.

Rule 4. The present participle of some verbs ending in ਆ is formed by adding ਉ to the root verb, nasalizing it and then adding ਦਾ or its variants as in ਆਉਂਦਾ from ਆ, ਗਾਉਂਦਾ from ਗਾ, ਨ੍ਹਾਉਂਦਾ From ਨ੍ਹਾ, ਪਾਉਂਦਾ from ਪਾ etc. The present participle changes according to number/gender.

Rule 5. When the root verb ends in ਆ past participle is formed by adding ਇਆ to the root verb as in ਗਾਇਆ from ਗਾ, ਪਾਇਆ from ਪਾ.

Rule 6. If the root verb ends with a consonant the past participle is formed by adding sihari to the end consonant followed by ਆ as in ਸੁਣਿਆ from ਸੁਣ, ਲਿਖਿਆ from ਲਿਖ, ਤੁਰਿਆ from ਤੁਰ etc.

Rule 7. Like present participle the past participle also changes by number/gender. A distinguishing feature however is that the past participle changes according to the number/gender of the subject if the verb is is intransitive or the object if it is transitive.

See this example: ਵਿਦਿਆਰਥੀ ਨੇ ਪੜ੍ਹ ਕੇ ਸੁਣਾਇਆ - student narated by reading. Here ਪੜ੍ਹ ਕੇ indicates an action which is completed. It modifies the verb ਸੁਣਾਇਆ and therefore is participle. The participle which indicates a completed action is called perfect participle

Rule 8. Perfect participle is formed by the adding ਕੇ to the root verb.

Rule 9. Unlike the present and past participles perfect participle does not have number/gender variations.

We have dealt with participles at some length. The reason is that besides the above uses of the participles, the same participle forms are used in verbs which we shall examine in tenses. We now give below some more examples.